Lubricating device



June 1 1926. 1,587,192

E; SIEGEL LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4. 1926 /7 /6 I 6 S INVENTOR.

m, Ht w W A9 I BY A TTORNEYJ,

Patented June 1, 192%.

PATENT GFFECE.

ERNEST SIEGEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LUBBIOATING DEVICE.

Application filed February 4, 1926. Serial No'. 85,911.

The relatively movable parts of some ignition timers for internal combustion engines require lubrication such, for example, as the ignition timer furnished as standard equipment upon the well known Ford automobile, and the present invention relates more particularly to improved means for effecting the lubrication of this timer. 7

In the ignition timer referred to, the outer end of the outwardly closed casing shell is provided in its upper side with an oil hole, but it has been found that the oil supplied to the interior of the casing through this oil hole quickly runs out of the casing at its other end, which is open and merely fits up against the engine frame to provide for rotative adjustment of the casing, and even if the oil were retained in this inner open ended part of the casing, it would there .be at a point of no value for lubricating purposes. When the oil is insuliicient, as is the case most of thetime, the wear on the relatively movable contact making and breaking parts is excessive and uneven so that these parts Soon wear to such an extent, particularly the circular track for the rotating contact maker, ti at good contacts for establishing the ignition circuit are not made, thereby sometimes failing to ignite the fuel charge in the engine. The expedient has been tried of packing the outer closed end portion of the timer ca ing with a relatively hard grease, which would not run out of the casing, but it has been found that this grease does not supply adequate lubrication. These above noted troubles. due to ineffective lubrication, with the ignition timer furnished as standard equipment upon the well known Ford automobile, have been long recognized, but so far as I am aware have'not been remedied in this timer although many attempts have been made to overcome these diiliculties by ning or inventing entire timing devices intended to take the place as a whole of the timer installed as standard equipment on the Ford cars.

An object of this invention is to provide means for feeding continuously to the relatively moving parts of the ignition timer just the required amount of lubricant. Another object of the invention is to provide a lubricating device, which 'may be readily installed in the timer casing so as to cooperate with the features of construction of the t 1 originally 1manutactured. An

--'. I .0 .I in. ether a); oi he lnvtli'lil ll 15 to prende a lubricating device which may be quickly and conveniently applied to the timer or removed therefrom. Another object of the invention is to produce an inexpensive lubricating device of the kind referred to which may be independently manufactured and sold as a separate unit to be applied to the timer by any one to form a feature of improvement therein. Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

According to my invention lubricating oil is fed by means of a suitable wick to the parts of the ignition timer requiring lubrication. hiore particularly in carrying out the invention, and as shown in the illustrated embodiment thereof, a unitary insertable and removable lubricating device is provided comprising a removable partition member to extend across the closed outer end portion of. the usual rotatively adjustable timer casing, this partition member forming an oil receiving chamber in the outer end of the timer casing, and having a central cap portion to receive the outer end of the timer shaft. A circular or annular wick is provided outwardly from the partition member within the oil chamber, the partition mem her bein clamped by releasable means against the usual shoulder formed in the outer tapering closed end of the timer casing with this circular wick forming an interposed insulating and sealing gasket to retain oil in the oil chamber. This wick also acts as a feeder wick for a second wick which is an oil-supplying wick extending from within the oil chamber through aligned openings in the circular wick and in the margin of the partition member in the lower part of the timer casing, the rotating contact member of the timer having wiping engagement with the inner end portion of this second or oil-supplying wick to receive oil therefrom, such wiping engagement taking place at each rotation of the timer shaft.

The invention further includes features of construction and combinations of parts as will appear from the following description.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and the invention is pointed out in the appended claims. lhe illustrated embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

I Fig.1 is a central vertical section on the line 1-i til-Fig. 2 showing a lubricating device according to the present invention as embodied in an ignition timer of the well known Ford construction.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the complete ignition timer embodying my invention as viewed from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear face View in elevation of the lubricating device, per se, in the position in which it appears in Fig. 2 but shown independently of or separately from the rest of the timer as a whole;

f is a partial horizontal section on the line ll of Fig. 2 showing more particularly the releasable fastening means for removably retaining the lubricating device as a whole in place in the timer casing;

Fig. 5 is an'edge or side elevation of the complete unitary lubricating device, as viewed from the right in 3, and corresponding to the position in which it is shown in section in 1.

For a clear understandng of the lubricating device of the present invention, it will be necessary irst to describe briefly the timer for ignition systems as originally 1nanufactured without having this invention embodied therein.

From the side of the engine frame (not shown) of the Ford automobile, there projects a rotating timer shaft 1., the projecting end 'of which carries a rotatable contact member or distrilmting member for successively making and breaking the connections of the ignition circuit with the four spark plugs of the engine. This contact member includes an inner arm 2 which by means of its hub is removably mounted upon the projecting end of the timer shaft 1 to rotate therewith, being keyed thereto by means of a pin 3, and being retained upon the shaft by means of a nut so that merely by removing the nut l the arm 2 together with the parts carried thereby may be removed from the timer shaft 1. The outer end ot the arm 2 has pivoted thereto at 5 a trailing "ipcr arm (3 which at its free end carries a, contact roller 7 on a journal pin 7 and which is pressed outwardly to its contact-making position by means of a small coiled. retractile spring 7", which is anchored to a lug on the hub of the inner arm 2 and connected to a tail on the outer arm ('3. The timer sin ft, 1, the arms 2 and (5, and the contact roller 7, including the pivot pin of the latter, of course all. are of metal so as to form a conductive path in the ignition circuit.

An in ardly open and outwardly closed rotatively inljustable contactcarrying metallic casing shell 8 removably fits over the outer projecting end of the timer shaft 1 and the above described contact member mounted thereon. The casing 8 is substantially of cup shape having a cylindrical inner or body portion open at its inner end and. at its closed end tapers along curved lines, thereby forming a shoulder within the casing adjacent to its cylindrical body portion, as clearly shown in 1. The inner open end of the. casing 8 his against the outer face of the adjacent side wall of the engine casting within a slight annular ridge or flange provided on the engine frame, and is removably held in place by means of a yoke arm (not shown) which carries a screw to engage in the indentation shown centrally in the outwardly tapering closed end 0 t the casing, this yoke arm being mounted on the engine casting. A lever arm 9 shown as secured to the upper side of the casing S towards the front thereof iirovides for the connection of the usual controlling rod, which in turn is connected to the usual spark lever for thereby manually rotat-ively adjusting the casing 8 together with the contacts and other parts carried thereby. An oil hole is shown as provided through the upper side of the to wardly tapering part of the casing 8 through an oil tube or cup 10 which at its outer end is provided with a hinged cover as shown in Fig. 1.

Within its larger cylindrical inner portion and substantially midway of the length thereof, the casing 8 arries an insulating ring or annulus 11, which in turn carries four equidistantly spaced metallic contacts 12 which are countersunk into the inner face of the insulating ring 11 so as to have their'inn r arcuate surfaces flush with the inner surface of the ring 11. Each of the contacts 12 is provided with a conductive stud 13 which passes outwardly through the insulating ring 11 and through an insulating sleeve 1 1 in the metallic easing 8 and at its outer screw-threaded end is provided with one or more nuts 15 so that the studs 13 thus form binding posts from which the circuit wires lead to the spark plugs, re spect-ively. These studs 13 also serve to retain the contact-carrying insulating ring 11. in place within the casin 3, it being noted that this ring 11 projects radially inward from the inner cylindrical surface of the "asing 8 so as thereby to provide a shoulder forming ridge or ledge herein. The contact roller 7 runs or travels upon the smooth circular inner sur ace provided by the insulating annulus l1 and the conducting contacts 12 for thereby making and breaking the ignition circuit through these ccaitacts.

The improvements ell'ected in this timer for assuring effective lubrication according to my invention will now be described,

Reference will be had more particularly to Figs. 2 an 5 of the which show the uni l of my invention as re lax other parts of the timer in wl ich eating device is shown as einhodii 1, 2 and 4-. A metallic partiliw 1G for the casing S compr' llll lid

the drawings, a flat outer annular flange por ion and a central cap portion for receiving and enclosing the outer projecting end of the timer shaft 1 and its nut 1. This partition member 16 may be made in one piece, as shown, of any suitable metal and it may be an inexpensive die-casting or, if desired, it may be readily stamped from sheet metal. An initially flat annular wick 17 fits snugly over the slightly outwardly tapering cap portion of the part1- tion member 16 in contact with the front face of the flat flange portion of this member, beyond the outer circular edge or periphery of which the outer margin of this wick projects to a considerable extent, shown in the drawings, in the fiat condition of this wick as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, as substantially equal to the width of the flange portion of the partition member 16. A second wick 18 in the form of a strip and which may be a piece of ordinary lamp wick, is threaded through an arcuate slot of suitable length, shown in the drawing as having a length of a little less than degrees, provided through the flat flange portion of the partition member 16 adjacent to its lower edge, this wick being sufficiently gripped in the slot to be held in adjusted posit-ion therein, and this wick also passing through a slit made in the annular wick 17 to register with the slot in the member 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings. This second wick 18 projects to a considerable distance inwardly or rearwardly from the partition member 16 and is shown as projecting to a greater extent outwardly or forwardly from the annular wick 17. Both of the wicks 17 and 18 may conveniently and effectively consist of ordinary wick fabric. Means are provided for removably holding the partition member 16 together with the wicks 17 and 18 carried thereby in place within the timer casing 8 and for this purpose such means may conveniently engage with the internal forwardshoulder or ledge formed by the insulating ring 11 within the casing 8. Such holding or retaining means are shown in the illustrated construction as carried by the partition-forming member 16. The means shown comprise two diametrically disposed leaf springs 19 each of which at one of its ends is pivoted by means of a rivet 26 to the flat flange portion of the partition member 16 to swing laterally on the inner or rear face thereof, and the free ends of these springs are bent away from the partition member 16 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. These leaf springs 19 form catches or fasteners which may be swung to retract them to the disengaged position shown at the right in Fig. 3, or they may be swun: to pro ect them to the engaging or holding position shown in Fig. t and at the left in Fig. 3. ing device per se of the invention has now been described and reference will now be had more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 a d 2'3 of the drawings for describing the new and improved construction of the ignition timer produced by embodying the above described lubricating device therein a feature of improvement thereof.

The partition-forn'iing member 16 is made of ust sufiiciently smaller diameter than the central opening formed in the casing 8 within the insulating ring 11 when the casing carrying this ring is removed or detached from the engine so that the partition mem ber 16 together with the two wicks carried thereby, the annular wick 17 of which auto matically folds itself at its projecting margin around or over the edge of the partition member 16, may be readily pushed through the insulating ring 11 with the cap portion of the partition member 16 and the annular wick 17 towards the closed outer end of the casing 8, the spring fasteners or catches 19 then being in the retracted positions shown for one of these catches or latches at the right. in Fig. 3. It is to be noted that these catches are positioned on the partition member 16 so that they may swing thereon without the inwardly projecting end of the second wick 18 being in their path, as appears in Figs. 2 and 3, and in inserting the lubricating device into the casing 8 it is positioned so that the wick 18 will be adjacent to the lower side of the casing as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and as is indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. lVhen the lubricating device is thus pushed into the casing 8 as far as the internal shoulder formed by the tapered forward part of the casing will let it go, the outer margin of the annular wick 17 will project beyond the adjacent track surface of the insulating ring 11, and this projecting marginal portion of the wick 17 is to be pushed back into the casing at the front of the insulating ing 11 within the outer cylindrical portion of the casing 8, and this wick may be first thus pushed back to provide a clearance space for the spring catches 19. While the lubricating device is manually held in position in the casing these catches 19 are swung to their projecting position so as to engage their rearwardly turned free ends, the corners of which may be slightly rounded, at the front of the insulating ring 11 at a point between two of the contacts 12-carried thereby, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, thereby securely to clamp the lubricating device in place within the casing S with the outer marginal portion of the annular wick 17 gripped between the shoulder formed by the tapering front'wall of the casing and the outer edge portion of the partition-forming member 16. Using any The construction of the lubricat- Ill) ring; 11 and t 15.: short of or adiall outward roin i he hid-e1 surface or circuit: tract; provided by the insulating ring and co taurls l2 and upon which the contact roller I ru 2 qrhown in Figs. 1, .3 and 'lhe triumph o oi the partition member to i laee by inch of the catches 19 as :ibove cescribeal clamps 2 I 7 1d grips the annular wt 17 with suilicicnt force to provide an adequate soul so that thereby the partition ineinber lit forms en oilneceiving chamber in the outwardly tapered ciosed forward end portion oi the casing shell 8, as most clearly appears ii Fin: 1. The outwardly rounded end of the cap portion ol the partition neinber l6 presses against the ou'evardly rardiy projecting portion of the lower l8 to hold it against the adjacent downwardly inclined wall of the shown in Fig. l. The other end portioi of the lower wielq 18, which projects rearvardly beyond the partition ineinl or to, is turned over downwardly as shown in l and and i si bstantially tiush or in line with the forward face of the insulating annulus ll in position for the end of the contact roller '7 to have wiping oil-receiving e1 zg'ag ement therewith while it is passing through the corresponding are of its planetary travel. Should this portion of the Wick 1H becmne worn, it may )e trimmed it 'y and sui ably adjusted to correct pof througi h the slot in the partition in i l A ll}. in new ol the tact that the metallc catches 9 engage the insulating l ring ll, t to metallic parts oil the lulnbicatin device cannot short circuit the ignition circuit, ii'uither ins-ullatiou being provided by the annular w 'l: l? between the metallic parti' ion member 16 and easing S. The lul icat' device may be readily removed casinomerely by releaszuinpiu catches 15). Oil intro- (lured, through the oil tube 10, into the l oil clian'iber lOi'IHCd in the uhove describel outer end oi. using: as by the partition i'nemb-er to r." ,e absorbed by the wicks 17 and 1S and will no erred by capillarity to ll of these wicks lee-- L yond or at tl hi side of the partition member 16, wh 1 e oil will he s ioplied by the imvcr wick 18 to the Contact roller 7 in its w "2;;- conta with this wick, and this oil will. he tron; erred by the conta 3t roller I to the surilfece of the truck upon which it runs to prorile a thin film of oil thereon at all times, and it has been found that just the right condition of lubri'ation is pri vidcd in this way for the most ell'ective operation of the illl'lQl' and to prevent undue wear. At the same time, it; will be noted, that the journal bearing 7 ot' the contact roller 7 will also be luhricated. some oil will also creep by eapillarity from both of the wicks over the track 0 the roller 7 in the ring ll. Also the contact 01 the margin or e portion of the annular wick l? with the end surt'ace ol the insulating ring ll will resrlt in some oil being absorbed by this rim: so that i u a short time it bccorne:-:- suti'iciently permezilel, with Oil to substantially increase its wczirii 1:

qualities. It is to be noted that nular vick 1? acts as feed oil to the lower oil-supplying wick ior el'l'ecting the lubrication oi? the relatively movable parts of the ti ll hat'ever quantity of oil that may be desired may be introduced into the oil chamber and it will be used gradually u required. Should there be no surplus oil in the chamber, the oiwoalted wicks will continue to furnish ellect V0 lubrici tion ilior some time, until the oil supply tan be re plenishcd.

It has been found that the lubricating device illustrated in the drawings as on embodiment of the iure on effectively meets the requirements to :"ultil the ohj ol the invention, however, it is to be understood a." obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly dcsc 'ibed within the principle and scope of the ilvcntioas defined in the appended claims.

1. In a timer for ignition systems comprising a rotatively adjustable lubricantreceiviug casing u-ovidcd rith circularly rrai'iged contacts exposed at its inner and enclosing a rotatiir the 2111 side contact malt er having: wiping en 'acement with the conticls l in the casing, the combination with said casing and contact maker ot a lubricating: derice comprising a l.Il)l'!C2lT1t-SUi))l \'iiigl wick disposed within and near the lower side of the casing in position for the con tact maker to have wiping: engagement with it, an auxiliary wick disposed transversely across the using und in close contact w ll; the said lubricant-sup dying: wick to t the lubricant thereto, and means tor hold the wicks in posiion in the cai-siugg'.

2. In a timer for ignition syo't'ems comprising a rotatively adjustable lubricant-re ceiving casing shell closed at its outer end and having at its inside an annular ledge carrying inwardly exposed contacts and enclosing a rotatable Contact having wiping engagement with the contacts carried by th earl i loo annular ledge, the combination with said casing shell and rotatable contact of a lubricating device comprising a lubricantsupplying wick positioned in the outer closed end of the casing shell .nearits lower side for the rotatable contact to have wiping engagement therewith, an auxiliary Wick disposed transversely across the casing shell and in close contact with the said lubricant-supplying wick to feed the lubricant thereto, and means for holding the wicks in position having releasable engagement with said annular ledge thereby to permit the lubricating device to be inserted into and removed from the casing shell through the annular ledge.

3. An insertable and removable lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising a partition member for the timer casing to form an oil-receiving chamber therein, a wick for conveying oil from the oil chamber past the partition member to the timer parts, and means for removably holding the partition member and wick in position in the timer casing.

i. A lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising an insertable and removable partition member for the timer casing for forming an oil-receiving chamber therein, a w'ck carried by the partition member for conveying oil from the oil chamber beyond the partition member to the timer parts, and means for removably retaining the partition member and thereby the wick in place in the timer casing.

5. A lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising an insertable and removable partition member for forming an oil chamber in the timer casing, the partition member having a slotted openi adjacent one edge thereof, a wick passthrough said opening for conveying oil from the oil chamber for lubricating the timer, and releasable means for removably holding the partition member together with the wick in place in the timer casing.

6. A lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising an insertable and removable partition member for the timer casing, a wick to form a gasket around the margin of the partition member, a wick for conveying oil from one side of the partition member to the other, and releasable means for removably holding the partition n'lember and the wicks in place in the timer casing.

T. An ins-ertable and removable lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising a partition member for form ing an oil-receiving chamber in the timer casing, a gasket-forming wick carried by the partition member to be clamped thereby against the wall of the timer casing, an oilsupplying wick carried by the partition member for conveying oil from the oil chamber to a point beyond the partition member, and releasable means for clamping the partition member against the wall of the timer casing thereby to hold the said device in place in the timer casing.

8. An insertable and removable lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising a circular partition member for the timer casing provided with a central cap portion to receive the projecting end of the timer shaft, an annular wick fitting over said cap and of larger external diameter than said member, said member and Wick having aligned openings in their marginal portions, an Qilsupplying wick passing through and held in said aligned openings, and releasable means for removably holding the said device in place within the timer casing.

9. An insertable and removable lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising a circular partition member for the timer casing provided with a central cap portion to receive the projecting end or the timer shaft, an annular wick fitting over said cap and of larger external diameter than said member, said member and wick having aligned openings in their marginal portions, an oil-supplying wick passing through and held in said aligned openings, and fastening means movably mounted on said member for removably holding the said device in place in the timer casing.

10. An insertable and removable lubricating device for a timer for ignition systems comprising a circular partition member for the timer casing provided with a central cap portion to receive the projecting end of the timer shaft, an annular wick fitting over said cap and of larger external diameter than said member, said member and wick having aligned openings in their marginal portions, an oil-supplying wick passing through and held in said aligned openings, and fastening means movably mounted on said member for removably holding the said device in place in the timer casing, said fastening means comprising a plurality of leaf spring catches pivoted on the margin of the partition member to swing laterally on its face opposite to the annular wick and having free ends turned away from the adjacent face of said member and to be swung beyond the peripheral edge of said member for resiliently clamping the said device in the timer casing and to be swung Within the outer edge of said member to provide for removing the said device from and inserting into the timer casing.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

ERNEST SIEGEL. 

